Redsand Canyon Well, I think you're crazy

Meant for @Praimfaya but anyone can join.

Never had he allowed injury to keep him down. Even when he'd fallen on his head trying to keep Orochi in the pit, he had shambled around afterward fighting his way up the pack's ranks and learning to treat his own damn wounds. It had been a couple of days since the man deemed 'Monster' had torn his left eye from it's socket, the flesh remaining had all crusted up and though it was disgusting and packed with herbs and moss he knew it would wither up one day to simply be a hideous sight. The pain was terrible and though he'd found some poppy laying about in what he assumed to be an abandoned medicine cache in a high enclave within the cavern he had to stretch them out not to nearly writhe from the pulsing, searing agony in his skull. Today was one of those days where nothing helped and so he kept himself from twitching by taking flight, panting with the pain as he paced the borders his open eye blank as he remained silent, expression as fierce and haunted as when Derg had found him laying in the rain. 

"I promise to aid Moonspear" 

he'd bowed to Hydra. 

"You need me? Come to me, i'll be there"

He'd promised Clay safety.

"You're mine"

He failed. He was failing another promise by playing loyal to Donovan's eerily charming ways. He knew he could bring Nyra with him to Moonspear, get her assistance in betraying Donovan as a spy while reporting to Hydra. She wanted to take down Ursus and he wanted the same and had promised numbers which with Hydra's help he had. There was someone else he was curious about being here, the girl he'd thought to be loyal to Hydra who now seemed to follow Donovan. Was she actually loyal? He'd forgotten her name too..it had begun with a 'P' but the rest slipped his mind. Howling "HEY FISH GIRL" would sound really dumb. 

the saints had gone to war for ursus; praimfaya did not take part. she pretended she was out of the territory when the call went up. their war was not her war. her 'loyalty' to this place has always been false as she silently works on her own agenda. worming her way in was much easier than she'd ever anticipated; and for a moment she feels genuine pity for the true and loyal saints. she hadn't felt anything about the ursus and saints alliance was genuine; some sort of bond between donovan and merrick that the rest of their packs were told feel or face consequences.

probably, she thinks with a snort as riley's words come back to her, merrick fell under the spell of donovan's sexual prowess. a spell, praimfaya thinks, that has to be close to shattering. it couldn't be enough to keep a whole pack loyal.

for a while now, praimfaya considers that she might not even have to take action. if the saints continue on this path of sure self-destruction they will take themselves out for her. all she would have to do was sit back and watch the chaos as they burned.

the scent of blood and wounds and mixed herbs is putrid and praimfaya finds herself following it, curiously; perhaps morbidly. she isn't looking to turn anyone to her cause — renard was always a co-conspirator and that was one too many. she still isn't sure she can trust them with unbreakable certainty but she does simply because she has little other choice ...and their desire to see the saints burn as she does appears genuine.

spirits of the commanders, praimfaya draws with a hiss of surprise as her frostbound gaze falls upon valour. you look like shit. was it worth it?

Speaking of the she wolf the flash of silver fur appearing before him snatched his attention and caught his breath, his heart suddenly choking him before his gaze dropped to the soil in front of his paws her voice jarring him from the illucid idea he was seeing Clay. "Thank you. I feel it" he responded flatly good silver eye rolling upward to stare straight into hers only because he couldn't bear to focus elsewhere, she was too pretty and looked similar enough to his dead prince that it revolted him. "I remember you, fish girl. I'm sorry I've forgotten your name but it's nice seeing a familiar face" there wasn't much fluctuation in his hollow tone but he gave an attempted lift of his lips before the dropped again and he looked around him testing the air to see if anyone was nearby and remaining quiet until the breeze shifted and checking again to be safe. "I wanted to speak to you. Do you like it here?" he asked her his voice burning with ice cold venom beneath the emotionless facade, a sharpness lying beneath them. He thought of Nyra and Hydra and how together he was sure the five of them could formulate a plan to take out at least Ursus if The Saints weren't a problem as well. 

fish girl? praimfaya openly scoffs at the nickname, unaware of her companions inner turmoils. i feel like i should be insulted. praimfaya draws dramatically with a wolfish ( kek ) grin and a lash of her tail that shows valour that she is joking. it’s praimfaya. she offers as a reminder, studying him again only to be reminded that he really did look like shit. you’re the second nightwalkers warlord here. she thinks of hela and how she hasn’t seen the other girl in some time.

praimfaya goes on alert, instantly, as she watches him sniff the air, singular gaze searching the landscape behind her before he admits, voice burning as he mentions that he wished to speak with her and then asks, bluntly, if she liked it here. frostbound gaze studies the territory behind valour. they are alone.

she thinks it’s not wise to talk about such things in the grandmaster’s domain, especially since donovan had been watching them lately. without renard, praimfaya feels a bit isolated …unaware that she and renard are far from the only two scheming. she is still and silent, frostbound searching valour for something fiercely. they were allies; once. could she trust him? renard had figured it out on their own and she has, over time, given more and more of her trust to them.

the ice in valour’s tone tells her that she can. or, at the very least, encourages her …and if he backstabbed her, well, she would do worse to him than take his eye. she was a body of commanders, all more ruthless than the last.

she draws nearer to him so that, to any third party observer, it looked like she was looking for more wounds. no. her lips brush the shell of his ear. i’ve been infiltrating for …months now. though the extent of her place here is largely unknown to her; time was fickle and she’s kept herself busy. i was denied jus drein, jus daun and i want revenge. she had made a promise to the spirits of the commanders that nemisis would rue the day she crossed her ...and the woman's death at anyone's jaws but her own meant someone else had to pay the price of retribution. praimfaya keeps her voice low, just for valour, as if she were sharing some intimate secret with him, having drawn back a bit so she wasn't quite so close but still close enough that her voice won't and doesn't have to carry.

Despite the physical agony shooting up his face he gave a faint smirk grateful for the joking response. Mood lightened up just a bit he gave an audible scoff at her words and lifted gunmetal silver to irridescent eyes ignoring the light fur that tripped his heartbeat up "Only one that kept it afloat till the end" he said acknowledging what he figured could be assumed already, the pack had fallen. Head lifted with surprise as she strode in close he felt the skin beneath his fur heat and turned to shoot a sideways look of surprise before her maw brushed his ear and he froze brain short circuiting before her words dragged him back. Eyes immediately sharpening he made sure that while awkward he did not look bothered by her closeness and instead turned his face into hers as she pulled away murmuring "I'm after Ursus. I've only been here a few weeks but you're not the only one who isn't happy" he was to the point his ears perked straight up as he gave her his full attention though he swept his gaze over her shoulder keeping an eye out. "What are your thoughts on Donovan and Derg? Ursus as well" he moved closer nudging her by gently butting his head against her shoulder as he spoke in what would seem a friendly gesture before motioning her to follow close as he walked down the border. Standing around too long would seem weird if someone saw them from a distance.

they move, voices low. what they talk about really isn’t anyone else’s business, even if they weren’t speaking of mutiny. valour tells her that he’s against ursus — and oh, how wanheda would be too if she only knew. a frown tugs at her lips, wondering if that meant that valour was truly loyal to the saints. only being against ursus was one thing and different then praimfaya’s reasons …if the pact were to break would valour be for them? this makes her suspicious and not entirely willing to share though she supposes she has no choice now.

i would respect derg under different circumstances. he has potential if he only followed a better leader, praimfaya tells it as she sees it; bluntly and unfeelingly. donovan …from what i hear and i’ve seen is only interested in those he can bed. it causes her lip to curl with disgust. and frankly, i think he’s a fool. a fool for trying to keep loyalty with his sexual prowess. a fool for thinking ursus isn’t just using him. a fool, plain and simple.

she is a commander. she has a very strict view of what she feels her leadership should be, especially if she were a follower and donovan…well, donovan wasn’t it. it seems like soon the saints are going to fall apart at the seams. especially if there were others like her, renard and valour. especially because their numbers have dwindled as of late or if they hadn’t left entirely, they certainly haven’t made what praimfaya would think of as any effort to be apart of anything. if she hasn’t seen them then they were as good as gone, in her eyes.

While a part of him was salty that she held some respect for Derg he remembered the way the man had tried to help after the monster had stolen Clay away. Valour hated the way that Derg had greeted him with a physical display he'd had no choice but to submit to. It was frustrating to see Hela once again held to such high regard in the eyes of a man he wanted to desire his skills and his experience, the wretch had him fooled and it would make him taking out Ursus so much harder. Watching her lip curl into disgust his eyebrows lifted in surprised interest his good eye shifting away from her as he held his tongue a bitter sensation coiling into the pit of his stomach. "Has he slept with everyone here? Is he that easy?" he asked in a tone that held the disgust her expression did though it was an idea he'd toy with inside his broken, anguish and rage filled thoughts for days. Turning back to her at the last comment he gave her a solemn look and nodded once "You're right about Donovan being an idiot. I know a she wolf here who is with me on taking out Ursus and I am willing to tell you why if you'd like to know" paranoid he looked around his ears twitching atop his head as he veered off toward a tree lifting his leg to mark avoiding her gaaze while speaking just high enough for her to catch it "If what you say about Donovan is true I would rather let those who are loyal to Donovan run off with their tails tucked than slaughter them...they all seem more foolish than harmful...murdering them for being horny seems harsh" he looked to her as the stream of urine ended and he dropped his leg brushing his fur against the tree before returning to their path his eyes on her as he continued "If you disagree and want...them all dead I will be asking Hydra and the ally I have here to go with me alone to Ursus and if I am back in time, I will help you. If these wolves are bad then they need to go" 

not everyone. praimfaya is quick to correct; tongue lashing against her teeth. i’ll rip his balls off if he even tries. the words tear from her in a low snarl; a moment later she composes herself. but it seems he’s slept with most. she sniffs; imperious. seems to be the only way he can keep loyalty. for whatever it was appearing to be worth. the more information i have, the more i have to offer those that’ll stand with us. meaning; yes she would like to know.

i don’t care about them being horny. that’s not why i want blood. she rolls her eyes. and, she adds. idiots can be plenty harmful. likely because they couldn’t see where they were stepping over the line. perhaps it’s how blodreina raised her, but praimfaya doesn’t care to underestimate her opponents …no matter how foolish she believes them to be.

i don’t want them all dead, praimfaya corrects; sharply. i want donovan’s head …since he denied me nemisis’, and i want the saints gone. i thought they were a plague on these wilds before when it was just donovan and nemisis. it was the way of her people and that she wasn’t going to stop until she had it. i have my own contacts. packs that might be willing to stand against the saints and ursus. and whatever valour’s cooking up with the mysterious wolf and hydra might only put a wrench in her own plans. on that, she remains silent for he has yet to confess the reasons of why he’s specifically targeting ursus.

even so, praimfaya can’t help but wonder: why stop with one? why not kill two birds with one stone as she paces along the border at his side, hanging back to add her own scent to the mix ...not trusting him enough to venture ahead. after all, they were both willing to stab someone in the back.

"If Ursus is pulling Donovan's strings he may not have any idea what he's doing allying with them. I can't get between you and him over some dead chick but I was told he defended himself against death" unafraid to speak his mind his tone was still calculative silver eye shifting toward Praimfaya to gauge her response as he continued "I don't know much about the pack but I know from what I was told about our enemies and alliance that the pack was barely given a chance to form before packs chased them out. If Donovan seduced enough people to make his pack survive then he did what he had to" he exhaled slowly and grit his teeth together remembering how he'd smelled Clay around Donovan's den turning away from her and rattling off what he could while he checked out the fresh scent of fox around their borders and kicked fresh dirt over it to remove it. "Ursus is the real threat. They've attacked innocent wolves and have been threatening Easthollow for months now. They attacked one of my members who went to check them out. One of their members attacked me when I went to attempt to talk to Merrick and was not trespassing, they swarmed me and if it weren't for a Nightwalker having tracked me to watch my back it would have been three against one with no cause. They also kidnapped one of our children and until members deserted Nightwalkers I was already going to lead a war with Hydra to take them out" finishing he turned and paused facing her with a serious expression "I won't talk about what I'll agree to after but I need Donovan alive and the saints as well if I'm going to remove Ursus. I have been working on this for longer than the Saints have been formed"  the words were stated firmly his eyes focused on hers and containing the gleam of ferocity he held deep inside at all times. 

valour doesn’t seem to realize that praimfaya doesn’t care why donovan killed her …only that he had and by doing so it had denied her vengeance and to her people, that was unheard of. praimfaya isn’t going to stop until her goal is achieved and as it becomes clear that valour’s interest do not align with her’s, she isn’t so sure what they’re doing. they want different things and she assumes that in the end, valour will not stand with her. as he tells her that, as if it were unfair, that other packs chased off the saints before they can form, a laugh bubbles from her throat. that was my doing. too bad hua and ira hadn’t gotten rid of them for good. in this, praimfaya is rutheless and unapologetic. i am not a woman you want to cross. praimfaya tells him sharply. a warning, perhaps.

she is a body of commanders: all more ruthless and draconian than the last.

as far as i know, ursus hasn’t done anything to me or mine, oh, if only she knew. i’m not saying they’re not a problem but we should take out the weakest link before worrying about the others. the saints could be a problem if allowed to regroup and regain their strength. when stripped, they were vulnerable. you don’t attack the strongest without extinguishing their weaker allies, first. to praimfaya, this is a basic tactician move. attacking ursus will only enrage the saints and that will make them a problem. she doesn’t say it, but she assumes that ursus won’t really care either way if the saints are gone ( though, she could be wrong ).

i don’t understand why you think donovan and the saints would help you attack their ally. an ally that donovan, clearly, wants.

regardless,

i won’t help you with ursus. not until the saints are taken care of. she tells him, unwilling to budge on her own plans. if you have pity on the saints then perhaps we should end this conversation now and pretend it never happened.

With an unwavering single eye holding to hers he listened silently, internally processing everything she said. It was her who caused so much strife for The Saints? The sharpening of her tone broke the sense of comradery immediately with the mood he was in and though the calm look on his face did not change the ferocity in his eye sharpened. It wasn't until she was done that he spoke his voice cold as ice though with patience he wouldn't afford most people "I'm not someone you want to threaten or prevent from accomplishing my goals. I'm not Hela or Vengeance. You know nothing about who you're speaking to or just how many people I have backing me" he stood firmly holding his ground with the sharp retort "I will be gaining Donovan's loyalty. I will be trying to turn him against Ursus. I will succeed in my plans. Whoever accomplishes theirs first...well good on them" with that he assumed it was made clear. She could try to take down Donovan anytime as long as she wouldn't stop his plans, Derg seemed of a more gentle nature and would be easier to turn against Ursus anyway. Keeping his attention behind him incase she tried to attack he began to walk off. 

though she had warned him — a threat, perhaps though she hadn’t necessarily meant it as such —; a fact he meets it with his own. a repeat of her own words just different to fit his need. praimfaya cuts him a cold look. in truth, valour doesn’t scare her. perhaps he should but praimfaya was not easy to intimidate; likely because she’s not afraid of death. her spirit will simply be reborn in the next commander; or so the belief goes. nevertheless, to die in battle is a great glory — a belief passed from her great-grandfather ( longer than that, really ) down…

neither, i feel i should remind you, do you. praimfaya tries not to let his threat rankle her, speaking of ‘people’. she has her own contacts; many of them. i’m not going to stand in your way but you’re a fool not to see your planning mistake. of course, not all plans were fool proof but still. he might’ve been the warlord but it was an inherited position … he had not built it from nothing but his dying parent’s wish — not like she had.

anyone could inherit a pack. that didn’t necessarily mean they were worthy of it.

it’s no wonder you failed as warlord, she thinks to herself, tempted to call out to him to find himself a real tactician. not that, she thinks, he would listen as she watches him storm off like a child who didn’t get his way. she lets him go, because there is no honor in fighting someone who is already weakened and because they have nothing further to discuss.